


Favor Well Won

by cadesama



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-03-18 19:04:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3580491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cadesama/pseuds/cadesama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What's sabacc without a little wager?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Favor Well Won

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jin_fenghuang](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jin_fenghuang/gifts).



> Prompt: Stuck on a ship for days, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme, Ahsoka, Rex etc decide to pass the time playing sabacc *cough* I mean hearts.

"You're cheating," Ahsoka accused baldly. Her sabacc cards were crumpling in her grasp, twisted all out of shape as she glared across the makeshift table at Rex.

"And how's that, Commander? I'm not one of the psychic empaths in the game." Padme made a soft sound and he gave her a sidelong look, acknowledging the oversight. "Me or the Senator."

"Senator Amidala hasn't won ten hands in a row!"

"Or any at all," Obi-Wan put in.

They were on day eight of this little side trip, running silent to avoid the echolocator droids swimming on the oceans of Mon Cal. In theory they were surveying the remains of ships from the previous battle, scouring their husks to determine if they had any intelligence value. In reality, they were hiding and awaiting back up because that battle wasn't nearly as finished as they had hoped and their little dingy was vastly outnumbered and outclassed – no matter what Master Anakin had to say on the subject.

It had almost been relaxing at first. Ahsoka got in a lot of meditating and Anakin and Padme managed to somehow disappear on a frequent basis, leaving Rex and Obi-Wan to look over their readings.

And then it had gotten tense.

Now they were just bored, playing endless rounds of sabacc as they waited for Artoo to indicate that anyone was coming for them at all.

"I find that surprising, personally," Anakin said. He was smiling slyly at Padme, who met his gaze flirtatiously. Ahsoka would have thought that eight days in cramped quarters would have resulted in some kind of restraint for them, but they'd just gotten more and more obvious as time passed. She was just happy they were all seated on the cargo bay floor, carton between the four of them as a playing table. If they had a real table, she had absolutely no doubt Anakin and Padme would be playing footsie right now. "I thought politicians were better was deception."

"Well, you thought wrong. I'm far too upstanding a citizen to be good at cards."

"But that's no fun at all."

"Oh? So what would be fun?"

Ahsoka resisted the urge to gag. Obi-Wan did not, visibly green next to her. He shaded his eyes and looked away as Padme and Anakin leaned over the cards, eyes locked challengingly.

"It'd be fun if you put in some effort," Rex said loudly.

Padme sat back, only the mildest bit embarrassed to have Rex intervene. Anakin was still smirking at her.

"And if you stopped cheating," Ahsoka snapped.

Rex widened his eyes, a comical look on him. Clones didn't actually do innocent well.

"Perhaps a wager," Obi-Wan proposed, "to make it more interesting."

"I've got an idea," Anakin said. Then, looking to Ahsoka, he deflated. His face screwed up in an expression of disgust that was so exaggerated that even Rex snickered. "Never mind, no, I don't."

"What kind of wager do you propose, General?" Padme asked. She leaned back on one hand, cards held to her chest.

"It has to be something we can all give," Ahsoka said slowly, looking between them all. Jedi didn't have possessions, nor did clones, but forcing a recitation of ancient poetry – while a fun Jedi party game – probably wouldn't have quite the same resonance for Rex or Padme.

"How about a favor?" Obi-Wan asked. "There are things that only each of us can do."

"But wouldn't we already do favors for each other?" Ahsoka asked.

"It's sweet that you think so," Padme replied. She had a carefully neutral expression that Ahsoka knew meant her political side had taken over. "There is little more valuable than a favor."

Ahsoka remained doubtful. It sounded like something that was really only worthwhile among people who didn't get along. Like, yeah, if Ventress owed her one and could be trusted to keep her word, that would be pretty killer. Jedi didn't really have the freedom to make that kind of call, though, and she wasn't sure how Rex would either.

But Rex was nodding thoughtfully. Maybe he had a favor in mind that he thought would be wonderful to be honored. Obi-Wan and Anakin soon followed suit.

"Alright, so those are the stakes. Winner of this hand gets one favor from each loser, to be called in at any point in the future with no repercussions. Which means, my lady," he said, eyes sparkling as he threw a grin Padme's direction, "that you need to play to win."

She straightened.

"I always play to win, General."

"It's your deal, sir," Rex said to Obi-Wan.

With no small amount of fanfare – being cooped up was clearly getting to him – Obi-Wan retrieved all the cards from the group and shuffled them. Anakin nudged him in the side when he caught Obi-Wan applying the Force to make his bridge look fancier than necessary and Obi-Wan elbowed him back companionably.

He dealt the hand with deliberate slowness, giving each card undue attention. Ahsoka snatched hers up as each was placed face down on the table before her, tallying up her points so far. And then he just kept dealing. She frowned as she picked up the additional cards.

"Stewjonian variant play," Obi-Wan said with a wink. "Pass two, discard one, hold one in reverse."

"What?" she blurted out.

"You heard the man, Snips," Anakin replied. He reorganized his cards, turning one over and passing two, not to Rex who sat next to him, but directly across to Padme. He was acting like these rules weren't entirely made up on the spot and it was highly annoying.

 

"But Master!"

"Are you questioning my integrity or my cultural traditions?" Obi-Wan asked, eyes narrowed.

"Of course not, Master."

Ahsoka ducked her head down, brow furrowed as she looked over her cards. She wanted this. She really wanted this. Rex had won nearly every hand so far, though Anakin, Padme, and Obi-Wan blatantly weren't even trying to win. She turned one card – did that mean it had the opposite value now? And selected the Ace of Staves and Queen of Air and Darkness to pass. Ahsoka looked warily across to Rex. She was passing the cards to him, wasn't she?

Wincing through it, she thrust the two cards out and hoped she hadn't just handed him the game.

"Change hands," Obi-Wan commanded and Anakin dutifully passed his entire set of cards to him, while Obi-Wan passed his to Rex, Rex to Padme and Padme to Ahsoka. With a sigh, Ahsoka handed hers over to Anakin.

This was such entire poodoo.

She waited a beat, watching Obi-Wan suspiciously. He picked over his cards, finger tapping the card that had been reversed.

"I fold," he declared.

Padme's mouth pressed into a moue of displeasure. She shook her head and looked at Rex, questioning his taste in cards.

"I'm afraid I do as well."

"And me," Rex said. He looked over Ahsoka suspiciously. "Seems like you knew more of this game than you thought, Commander, giving me those two cards."

"What? Those were great!"

Not what she was going for in her own hand, but definitely good cards.

"Really?" He looked surprised and then gave a quick, dry chuckle. "Explains a lot about the game so far."

"I'll teach you sometime, Snips," Anakin said. He was grinning and looked way too pleased with his cards. "Looks like it's just you and me – because everyone else is a coward."

"Not everyone battle is worth fighting, Anakin. Sometimes it is best to simply wait for your time to come."

"Yeah, yeah, tell me that the stakes have nothing to do with it."

"So you're still in, Master?" Ahsoka asked.

He smiled cockily.

"I'm not letting you off that easy. Call."

Ahsoka frowned down at her cards and shrugged, laying them down one by one while Anakin did the same across the table. She had a very basic set: Four of Coins, Three of Sabres, Commander of Flasks, The Evil One in reverse – good call, Rex – The Idiot, and Endurance. Not anything to make a special hand from, but the numbers did add up perfectly twenty three.

Anakin's set was a far more dazzling hand. Ahsoka had been angling to shoot the moon with her hand because she figured she might as well go hard or go. It just figured that Obi-Wan's made up rules gave it to Anakin instead of her. Those two could be the worst about conspiring together.

Ahsoka slumped as she looked at it.

"Fine, Master, you win."

"Wait," Obi-Wan frowned at Balance, placed down off kilter. Ahsoka blinked in surprise. That was right. She'd reversed that card. Obi-Wan moved it with one finger and suddenly everything looked different. He sat back smugly as Anakin's face fell. "I believe you are the clear victor here, Ahsoka."

"Was that on purpose?" Ahsoka asked of Anakin.

He schooled his features quickly into an expression of airy nonchalance.

"Absolutely not, Snips. I just misread the cards."

"You're the worst, Skyguy."

He grinned.

"I know."

Ahsoka crossed her arms, but her glare subsided soon enough. She'd won and now he owed her. And sure, she knew Anakin would do anything for her, but when the time came, she was going to get everything she could out of this favor.

And gloat. Hard.


End file.
